Engine



Oct. 8, 1935. H, T|M|AN 2,016,696

ENGINE Filed May 22, 1933 2'0 25 l yz INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE Harold H. Timian, Detroit, Mich, assignmto Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit, Micln, a corporation of Virginia Application May 22, 1933, Serial No. 672,688

14 Claims. (01.123-52) 5 to the construction of the intake manifold structure employed in such fuel mixture distributing systems.

Engines employed with automotive vehicles and also utilized as the power unit for marine vessels, are usually mounted on a chassis in such a way as to permit the power take-off shaft to be downwardly inclined to the traction elements. In the case of an automobile, the propeller shaft is usually inclined downwardly towards the rear axle of the vehicle, and in a boat or other marine vessel the propeller shaft is also usually inclined downwardly towards the propeller. It is usually preferable to so support the engine from the chassis that the longitudinal axis of said engine is inclined with respect to the normal horizontal plane of the chassis in order to eliminate the installation of complicated universal couplings in transmitting the drive. In the particular art for which the present invention was developed, it was noted that the usual type of intake manifold was not entirely satisfactory since uniform distribution of wet fuel could not be attained with that degree of efiiciency that is desirable at the present time. This unsatisfactory engine performance was more noticeable at idling speeds of the engine and during engine acceleration due to the fact that the wet fuel precipitate tended to collect at one end of the manifold or tended to supply certain of the engine cylinders, in particular the rear cylinders of the engine, with a richer fuel mixture than others. In the conventional manifold unequal wet fuel distribution is particularly noticeable on starting.

It is an object of my present invention to facilitate the distribution of fuel precipitate to the cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine by providing an improved fuel mixture distributing system therefor, in which the inclination of the engine with respect to the normal horizontal plane of the chassis has no effect on the wet fuel precipitate distribution.

Another object of my present invention is to provide an intake manifold structure for an engine of the character described in which the fuel mixture conducting portions of the manifold are adapted to receive the fuel precipitate during engine idling, duringengine acceleration and during part throttle engine operation in such a puddling chamber for collecting wet fuel precipitate, which is so constructed as to provide a surface on which the fuel is precipitated and. collected that is constructed to lie in a horizontal plane and substantially parallel with the normal 5 horizontal plane of the chassis whereby to evenly distribute the fuel precipitate over said floor and to prevent the tendency of said fuel precipitate to collect an excessive amount near one end of the puddling chamber from which the tendency of 10 supplying some of the engine cylinders with an excessive amount of wet fuel to the detriment of the other cylinders is eliminated.

My present invention in its morev particular aspects relates to a manifold structure of the up- 15 draft type in which the carburetor or fuel mixture forming and distributing device is located below the manifold structure, the fuel mixture being conducted upwardly'frcm the carburetor to the lateral distributing runners of the manifold 20 by means of an upwardly extending primary fuel mixture conducting means.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved intake manifold structure having a fuel mixture distributing chamber provided witha stepped floor forming a multi-level puddling chamber, each level portion thereof ex-- tending in a horizontal plane.

It may be further noted that the lateral runners in the present embodiment of my invention are both inclined upwardly from the distributing chamber and puddling chamber, so'that the wet fuel precipitates in both of said lateral runners tend to drain toward said distributing or puddling chamber instead of toward one end of the manifold, the slope of said runners being such as to induce this desired flow of wet fuel even though the vehicle is traveling over the maximum grade customarily encountered when touring in mountainous districts.

For a further understanding of my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment of my invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an internal combustion engine and associated vehicle chassis, this figure showing the relationship between the engine and chassis and further illustrating an intake manifold structure assembled to the engine and which is constructed in accordance with my present invention,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the manifold structure illustrated in Fig.

1, and taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through 555 said manifold structure taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view of a modified construction showing a stepped puddling chamber, and

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the stepped construction as incorporated in a manifold of the downdraft type.

Certain phases of my invention as will be more apparent hereinafter have particular significance with an engine in which the crankshaft axis is inclined to the horizontal.

I have chosen for purposes of illustration to show my invention as being incorporated with an engine employed for propelling an automotive vehicle, but it will be obviously understood that the principles of my invention may be incorporated with engines other than those used with automotive vehicles such as stationary and marine engines, and the reference in the specification and claims to a chassis for supporting said engine in its broadest aspects refers to any engine support such as carried by land, water, or airvehicles. In the present embodiment of my invention I have illustrated a vehicle chassis Ill having a, normal horizontal plane I I which extends substantiallyparallel with the ground level i2, the chassis frame I 0 being supported from the ground by the usual traction elements l3. An

engine A is preferably supported from the chassis ill by suitable supports or brackets, one of said brackets being shown as at M. It is customary in automotive vehicles to so support the engine as to tilt the same toward the rear of the vehicle, this being clearly illustrated in Fig. l in which it will be noted that the longitudinal crankshaft axis l5 of the engine is inclined to the normal horizontal plane ll of the chassis.

My present invention especially relates to the fuel mixture distributing system for such an engine and itwill be noted that I have provided an intake manifold structure especially adapted for assembly with a multi-cylinder engine, this intake manifold structure B being secured to the engine A in the usual manner by means of a plurality of bolts or other fastening devices It. Preferably an exhaust manifold structure 0 is also provided for assembly with the engine A in the usual manner. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, I have provided a fuel mixture forming and distributing device D of the updraft type, this device being usually referred to as a carburetor and is provided with the upwardly extending extension I! adapted to connect the carburetor with the primary fuel mixture conducting means of the manifold structure, said primary fuel mixture conducting means being designated by the reference character l8 and extending upwardly from the carburetor extension to the distributing chamber IQ of the manifold structure. The distributing chamber l9 includes a puddling chamber 20 having a floor portion 2| and a roof portion 2| preferably located opposite to the outlet of the primary fuel mixture conducting means l8, said floor and roof portions preferably being constructed to lie parallel with the horizontal plane of the chassis. The oppositely extending lateral runners 22 and 22' communicate respectively with the distributing chamber l9 and extend substantially longitudinally of the engine A. Suitable port runner porwith the engine, said engine preferably being provided with suitable intake ports 24 communicating with the engine intake passages 25 communicating to the engine cylinders (not shown). The puddling chamber 20 is preferably provided with an extension 28 forming a distributing groove for controlling the fuel flow during engine operation, this groove acting to direct the wet fuel so that the same can be acted upon by the split 29 to properly distribute the fuel to the engine cylinders. The puddling chamber or re- 5 cess is preferably diamond shape in plan and is provided with apices extending towards the lat- .eral runners for flowing the wet fuel precipitate V in a prescribed path, the runners each being provided with a split 29 or other means for dividl0 ing the fuel stream for distribution to the engine cylinders.

It will be noted that the lateral runners 22 and 22' are both inclined upwardly away from the distributing chamber I9 and toward the ends of 15 the engine. Due to the inclination of the engine with respect to the horizontal plane of the chassis the runners 22 and 22' are differently inclined, (see Fig. 2) that is, one of said runners isiinclined to this plane at a different angle than the other 20 of said runners. The inclination of these lateral runners. is such that longitudinal tilting of the vehicle which carries the engine during normal operation of said vehicle when moving over hilly ground which is not level, the said runners are 25 both substantially inclined upwardly with respect to the level ground and therefore uniform distribution of the wet fuel may be had during substantially all normal operation of the vehicle. It is obvious that there may be some occasions 30 where the vehicle is climbing a steep grade that the said runners will not be both inclined upwardly away from the distributing chamber with respect to level ground, but under this condition, the engine is operating generally with wide open 3 throttle and the tendency of the fuel mixture to precipitate and collect along the floor of the runners and in the puddling chamber is at a minimum. Usually the runner leading to the front cylinders of the engine is inclined a greater 40 amount with respect to the horizontal plane of the chassis than the rear runner, but it is customary to design manifolds constructed in ac-- cordance with this ivention with a forward runner having an inclination with this normal horizontal plane of the chassis with a factor of safety of about two degrees, that is, the runner is inclined at an angle of about two degrees more than that normally required so as to provide a sufflcient factor of safety to take care of about 5 one degree variation resulting from a loading of the vehicle.

A manifold structure of the character described above facilitates engine operation and more particularly improves part throttle engine operation 55 and considerable improvement in the operation is noted on starting the engine and during acceleration by reason of the uniform distribution of the wet fuel precipitate to the various cylinders of the engine. On starting the engine it is found 60 that uniform amounts of wet fuel are swept into the engine cylinders and a tendency of more wet fuel to sweep in the rear cylinders, than into the forward cylinders of the engine as is the case with manifold structures heretofore employed in 65 which the floor of the puddling chamber is inclined to the horizontal plane and in which fuel lprecipitate tends to collect at one end of the pudtions 23 connect the lateral runners 22 and 22; I diing chamber, is substantially eliminated for the reason that equal amounts of fuel precipitate are 70 accumulated in both of said lateral runners, and because even though all the wet fuel is drained into the puddling chamber, it is evenly distributed over the floor of said puddling chamber. The inclination of said runners prevents the draining 75 character described and the prevention of'crankcase dilution will add considerable to" the -llfe of theengine as well a'simprove' the fuel economy.- In Figs; and"'6 -'-Iha've' illustrated amodified form (if construction 'inwhicli' 'the fuel mixture distributing "ehamb'er is provided' -witha: stepped construction whereby to'obviate the necessity of having runners which-are differently inclined with'respect to'a horizontaiplana'l ig. 5-show ing an updraft manifold-while-Flg. 6 shows a f downdraft manifold. v a

With refe'ience td Fig-i5, 30 designates the upwardly extending primary fuel mixture conducting means or riser, 3| and 3| designate the lateral runners, and 32 designates the fuel mixture distributing chamber, which is formed with a stepped construction as at 33 whereby to form two floor surfaces or levels 34, 34' and two roof surfaces or roof levels 35, 35, said floor and roof levels being respectively joined by the vertical wall portions 36 and 31. It will be noted that the runners are constructed to lie at different levels, runner-3i being aligned substantially with the floor and roof levels 34 and 35, while runner 3| is aligned substantially with the floor and roof levels 34 and 35, and said runners are thus arranged to be both inclined an equal amount with respect to the horizontal.

In Fig. 6, I have provided a fuel mixture distributing chamber 40 and downwardly inclined runners 4| and 4 I, the primary fuel mixture conducting means 42 extending downwardly to the distributing chamber which is provided with a stepped puddling chamber as at 43 for accomplishing the same result as that produced by the construction shown in Fig. 5.

It will be noted that the floor portions of the distributing chamber extend horizontally and a portion of the precipitated fuel will tend to cling to this surface. Obviously fuel in excess of that which clings to the floor by capillary attraction will drain off and be subsequently returned to the carburetor in the case of an updraft carburetor as used with the construction illustrated by Fig. 5.

and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, as

it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains and various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an intake manifold structure for a multicylinder internal combustion engine having a longitudinal axis inclined to the normal horizontal plane of the chassis by which said engine is supported, said manifold structure including a primary fuel mixture conducting means, a fuel mixture distributing chamber having a stepped floor portion, and oppositely extending lateral runners communicating with said chamber and extending substantially longitudinally of the engine, said lateral runners being inclined with respect to the floor portion of said chamber.

ported, said manifold structure including a primary fuel mixture conducting means, a fuel mixture distributing chamber having a stepped floor portion extending substantially parallel'with respect to the said normal horizontal plane of the chassis,and oppositely extending lateral runners 1 extending substantially of the engine and inclined relatively to the floor: of said chamber.

3. An intake manifold structure for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinally "extending crankshaft whose'axis is inclined to the 15,

horizontal, said manifold structure including a primary fuel mixture conducting means, a fuel mixture distributing chamber communicating with said primary conducting means and having a stepped floor portion, and oppositely extending 20 lateral runners communicating with said chamber and extending substantially longitudinally of the engine, the mouth of one of said lateral runners lying substantially below the mouth of said other lateral runner. 5 4. An intake manifold structure for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinally extending crankshaft whose axis is inclined to the horizontal, said manifold structure including a primary fuel mixture conducting means, a fuel 30 mixture distributing chamber communicating with said primary conducting means and having a stepped floor portion, and oppositely extending lateral runners communicating with said chamher and extending substantially longitudinally of 35 the engine, the mouth of one of said lateral runners lying substantially below the mouth of said other lateral runner, the stepped floor portion of said distributing chamber providing a multi-level puddling chamber extending substantially hori- 4 zontal.

5. An intake manifold structure for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinally extending crankshaft whose axis is inclined to the horizontal, said manifold structure including a primary fuel mixture conducting-means, a fuel mixture distributing chamber communicating with said primary conducting means and having a stepped'fioor portion, and oppositely extendingv lateral runners communicating with said cham- 5o ber and extending substantially longitudinally ofthe engine, the stepped floor portion of said dis- .trlbutingchamber providing a multi-level puddling chamber extending substantially horizontal, one of said lateral runners communicating with 55 said, distributing chamber substantially at one level of said multi-level puddling chamber while said other lateral runner communicates with said distributing chamber substantially at another level of said multi-level puddling chamber.

6. An intake manifold structure for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinally extending crankshaft whose axis is inclined, to the horizontal and a fuel mixture forming and distributing device, said manifold structure including a primary fuel mixture conducting means connected with said device and extending substantially upwardly therefrom, a fuel mixture distributing chamber communicating with said primary conducting means and having a'stepped floor portion providing a multi-levl puddling chamber, each level extending substantially horizontal, and oppositely extending lateral runners communicating with said distributing chamber, one of said lateral runners connected therewith 75 substantially at one level of said puddling chamber while said other lateral runner is connected with said distributing chamber substantially at the other level of said puddling chamber.

'7. An intake manifold structure for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinally extending crankshaft whose axis is inclined to the 'horizontal and a fuel mixture forming and distributing device, said manifold structure including a primary fuel mixture conducting means connected with said device and extending substantially downwardly therefrom, a fuel mixture distributing chamber communicating with said primary conducting means and having a stepped floor portion providing a multi-level puddling chamber, each level extending substantially horizontal, and oppositely extending lateral runners communicating with said distributing chamber,

- one of said lateral runners connected therewith substantially at one level of said puddling chamber while said other lateral runner is connected with said distributing chamber substantially at the other level of said puddling chamber.

8. An intake manifold structure for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinally extending crankshaft whose axis is inclined to the horizontal and a fuel mixture forming and distributing device, said manifold structure including a primary fuel mixture conducting means extending substantially upwardly from said device, a distributing chamber having a horizontally extending floor portion on which fuel precipitate collects, said. crankshaft axis being inclined to the plane of said distributing chamber floor portion, and oppositely extending lateral runners communicating with said distributing chamber and extending substantially longitudinally of the engine.

9. An intake manifold structure for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinally extending crankshaft whose axis is inclined to the horizontal and a fuel mixture forming and distributing device, said manifold structure includmunicating with said, distributing chamber and extending substantially longitudinally of the engine, said lateral runners each being inclined upwardly from said distributing chamber, whereby to drain wet fuel accumulations towards said device.

10. An intake manifold structure for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinally extending crankshaft whose axis is inclined to the horizontal and a fuel mixture forming and distributing device, said manifold structure including a primary fuel mixture conducting means extending substantially upwardly from said device, a distributing chamber having horizontally extending wall portions on which fuel precipitate collects, and. oppositely extending lateral runners communicating with said distributing chamber and extending substantially longitudinally of the engine, each of said lateral runners being differently inclined relatively to the horizontal.

11. An intake manifold structure for an internal combustion engine having a longitudinally extending crankshaft whose axis is inclined to the horizontal and a fuel mixture forming and distributing device, said manifold structure in- 5 cluding a primary fuel mixture conducting means extending substantially upwardly from said device, a distributing chamber having horizontally extending roof and floor portions on which fuel precipitate collects, and lateral runners communicating with said distributing chamber'and extending substantially longitudinally of the engme.

12, Anintake manifold structure for a multicylinder internal combustion engine having a longitudinal axis inclined to the normal horizon tal plane of the chassis by which said engine is supported, said engine having intake ports associated with the engine cylinders and provided with a fuel mixture forming and distributing device, said manifold structure including a distributing chamber, a primary fuel mixture conducting means extending upwardly from said device and opening into said chamber, and oppositely extending lateralrunners communicating with said 5 chamber and extending substantially longitudinally of the engine for conducting the fuel mixture to the engine, said distributing chamber including a puddling chamber having a floor for collecting fuel precipitate and extending substantially parallel with the normal horizontal plane of said chassis and at an angle to the'longitudinal axis of the engine.

13. An intake manifold structure for a multi-- cylinder internal combustion engine having a longitudinal axis inclined to the normal horizontal plane of the chassis-by which said engine is supported, said engine having intake ports associated with the engine cylinders and provided with a fuel mixture forming and distributing de- 40 vice, said manifold structure including a distributing chamber, a primary fuel mixture conducting means extending upwardly from said device and opening into said chamber, and oppositely extending lateral runners communicating with said chamber and extending substantially longitudinally of the engine for conducting the fuel mixture to theengine, said distributing chamber including a puddling chamber having a floor for collecting fuel precipitate and extending substantially parallel with the normal horizontal plane of said chassis, said lateral runners each having a different inclination with respect to the horizontal plane of said chassis.

14. In an intake manifold for an internal combustion engine, a primary fuel mixture conducting means, a distributing chamber communicating with saidmeans, lateral runners communicating with said chamber and extending substantially longitudinally of the engine, said distributing chamber including a puddling portion on which a fuel precipitate collects and comprising a recess diamond shaped in plan with apices extending toward said runners for directing fuel flow in a prescribed path, and means within the runners for dividing said fuel flow for distribution to the engine cylinders.

HAROLD TIMIAN. 

